California Bowl

Collegebowl
name = California Bowl
full_name = California Rasin Bowl
nickname =
defunct = yes
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stadium = Bulldog Stadium
previous_stadiums =
location = Fresno, California
previous_locations =
years = 1981 — 1991
previous_tie-ins =
conference_tie-ins = PCAA/Big West, MAC
payout =
sponsors = California Raisin Advisory Board (1988 — 1991)
former_names =
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The California Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game played annually at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California, from 1981 to 1991. The games matched the championship teams from the Big West Conference (formerly the Pacific Coast Athletic Association) with teams from the MAC. During the bowl's existence it was generally the first bowl game played during the postseason. It was regarded as one of the lower-profile bowl games in that the conferences involved were mid-majors, and was one of the first bowls to restrict its television marketing efforts to the medium of cable television. Due to the purchase of naming rights by the California Raisin Advisory Board, the California bowl was sometimes referred to as the California Raisin Bowl in contemporary accounts. This is not to be confused with the bowl, played 1946 — 1949, called the Raisin Bowl (also played in Fresno). Fresno State largely dominated this game, playing in five of the 11 games and winning four of them. Several Mizlou Television Network telecasts of the California Bowl can be seen on TV4U.Com.

In 1992, the game moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and became the Las Vegas Bowl.

Results by year

"* Toledo lost this game, but was later awarded the win due to UNLV's use of ineligible players earlier in the season."

ee also

*List of college bowl games